Washing machine having detergent supply device

ABSTRACT

A washing machine having a detergent supply device for mixing detergent, filled in a detergent container, with wash water, and supplying the mixed detergent and wash water into a washing tub. The detergent supply device includes a housing, a detergent container, and water supply chambers. The housing includes a plurality of inlets connected with respective water supply pipes, and an outlet connected with a washing tub. The detergent container is detachably inserted in the housing and includes a plurality of detergent receiving chambers. The water supply chambers include a plurality of flow channels, and one of the flow channel is adapted to supply wash water, supplied from the inlets, into the detergent receiving chambers while adjusting the pressure of the wash water within a predetermined range.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.2004-0044039, filed on Jun. 15, 2004 in the Korean Intellectual PropertyOffice, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a washing machine, and, moreparticularly, to a washing machine having a detergent supply device formixing detergent, filled in a detergent container, with wash water, andsupplying the mixed detergent and wash water into a washing tub.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, washing machines are apparatuses for washing laundry usingfrictional force caused by simultaneously agitating the laundry,detergent and wash water, contained in a washing tub, upon receivingdriving power of a motor. The washing machines employ a detergent supplydevice to supply the detergent into a water tub in a mixed state withthe wash water during a water supply cycle.

In the case of a drum type washing machine, such a detergent supplydevice is mounted in an upper front side of a body, and includes abox-shaped housing having an open front surface, and a separabledetergent container including a drawer to be pushed into or pulled outof the housing through the open front surface. A rear upper portion ofthe housing includes inlets for use in the connection of water supplypipes. Through the water supply pipes, the wash water is supplied intothe detergent container located in the housing. A bottom rear portion ofthe housing includes an outlet for use in the connection of a connectionpipe. The wash waterpasses through the detergent container located inthe housing, and is supplied into the water tub of the washing machinethrough the connection pipe.

The detergent container is divided into a plurality of detergentreceiving chambers in order to separately sort and receive variousdifferent kinds of detergents therein. A bottom surface of the detergentcontainer is inclined downward at a rear side thereof, such that thedetergents, received in the detergent container, can smoothly flowtoward the outlet of the housing, along with the wash water, during thewater supply cycle.

The detergents, which were previously filled in the detergent receivingchambers of the detergent container, flow toward the outlet of thehousing after being mixed with the wash water, such that they can besupplied into the water tub in a mixed state with the wash water.

When the pressure of the wash water supplied into the detergentreceiving chambers is low, the detergents may be supplied into the watertub in an insufficiently mixed state with the wash water, and thus mayremain in the detergent supply device. On the contrary, when thepressure of the wash water supplied into the detergent receivingchambers is high, the wash water collides with the detergents at a highspeed, producing detergent bubbles.

For example, when using liquid detergent exhibiting high-viscosity andhigh-foamability, such as, for example, a rinsing agent, when thepressure of the wash water supplied into the liquid detergent receivingchambers is low, the wash water may be directly supplied into the watertub without mixing with the rinsing agent, while leaving the rinsingagent in the detergent container. Further, when the pressure of the washwater is high, a great deal of bubbles as stated above may be produced,thereby invading other detergent receiving chambers filled withdifferent kinds of detergents, or being leaked out of the washingmachine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide awashing machine having a detergent supply device which can maintain thepressure of wash water, supplied into detergent receiving chambers, at apredetermined value, thereby preventing detergent from remaining in thedetergent receiving chambers when low-pressure wash water is supplied,or from producing bubbles when high-pressure wash water is supplied.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forthin part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparentfrom the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achievedby providing a washing machine having a detergent supply device, thedetergent supply device including a housing having a plurality of inletsconnected with respective water supply pipes, and an outlet connectedwith a washing tub, a detergent container detachably inserted in thehousing and including a plurality of detergent receiving chambers, andwater supply chambers to adjust a pressure of wash water, supplied fromthe inlets, within a predetermined range, and to supply the wash waterinto the detergent receiving chambers.

The water supply chambers may each include a flow channel for leadingthe wash water from the inlets.

One of the flow channels may include pressure-adjustment holes todischarge the wash water at a flow rate corresponding to a pressurevalue of approximately 20 psi, the wash water passing through the flowchannel, from the flow channel.

A plurality of the water supply chambers may be included correspondingto the respective detergent receiving chambers of the detergentcontainer, and the wash water discharged from the pressure-adjustmentholes formed at the flow channel to supply the wash water into one ofthe detergent receiving chambers may be supplied into another one of thedetergent receiving chambers.

The flow channel may communicate with the plurality of the water supplypipes arranged such that water supply directions thereof, intersect eachother, and the flow channel may supply the wash water, simultaneouslyinjected from the plurality of the water supply pipes and converged at apredetermined position, into the water supply chambers.

One end of the flow channel may include a flow channel widening portionto supply a part of the converged wash water, exceeding a predeterminedflow rate, into the water supply chambers.

The water supply chambers may be positioned in an upper portion of thehousing, and the detergent container may be detachably inserted in alower portion of the housing.

A plurality of the detergent receiving chambers may be defined in thedetergent container, and a plurality of the water supply chambers may bepositioned above the detergent container to correspond to the respectivedetergent receiving chambers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent and more readily appreciated from the following description ofthe embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings ofwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an interior of a washingmachine in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a detergent supplydevice of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view illustrating flow channels defined in anupper case of the detergent supply device shown in FIG. 2

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiment of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elementsthroughout. The embodiment is described below to explain the presentinvention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates a drum type washing machine in accordance with thepresent invention, the washing machine includes a cylindrical water tub11 installed in a body 10 to contain wash water therein, and acylindrical washing tub 12 rotatably installed in the water tub 11 andformed at a peripheral wall surface thereof with a plurality of spin-dryholes, a driving motor 13 providing below the water tub 11 to rotate thewashing tub 12, installed in the water tub 11, in a forward or reversedirection for performing washing, rinsing and spin-drying operations.

Further, openings are provided at respective corresponding front ends ofthe body 10, water tub 11 and washing tub 12 to place laundry into thewashing tub 12 or remove the laundry from the washing tub 12 through theopenings. In order to open or close the openings, a door 14 is installedat the front end of the body 10.

Above the water tub 11 are provided a water supply device 20 and adetergent supply device 15, to simultaneously supply the wash water anddetergent into the water tub 11 in a water supply cycle. Below the watertub 11 is further provided a drainage device 16 to forcibly drain thewash water from the water tub 11 after completion of the washingoperation. The drainage device 16 includes a drainage pipe 16 a, and adrainage pump 16 b.

The water supply device 20 includes a plurality of water supply valves21, which are connectable to an external water supply hose (not shown)to control a supply of water, a plurality of water supply pipes 23connected between the respective water supply valves 21 and thedetergent supply device 15, and a connection pipe 24 to guide the washwater which passes through the detergent supply device 15, into thewater tub 11.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the detergent supply device 15 includes a box-shapedhousing 30 having an opening 34 formed at a front end thereof, and adetergent container 35 detachably inserted in the housing 30 through theopening 34. In order to allow the detergent container 35 to be pulledout of the housing 30, like a drawer, at the outside of the body 10, thedetergent supply device 15 is mounted at an upper front side of the body

In FIG. 2, the housing 30 of the detergent supply device 15 is formed bycoupling an upper case 40 with a lower case 31. The lower case 31includes an interior space for receiving the detergent container 35, andis opened at front and upper surfaces thereof. The upper case 40 iscoupled with the lower case 31 to cover the open upper surface of thelower case 31.

In FIG. 3, the upper case 40 internally defines a plurality of watersupply chambers 41, 42, 43 and 44 which are divided by partitions. At abottom surface of the upper case 40 are perforated a plurality of holes48 to distribute the wash water, which was supplied into the respectivewater supply chambers 41, 42, 43 and 44, into the detergent container 35positioned below the upper case 40. At a rear end of the upper case areperforated a plurality of inlets 49 a, 49 b, 49 c and 49 d connectedwith respective water supply pipes 23 a, 23 b, 23 c and 23 d to supplythe wash water into the water supply chambers 41, 43 and 44. The uppercase 40 further internally defines flow channels, and detailed structureof the flow channels will be explained later with reference to FIG. 3.

The lower case 31 is formed at a rear end of a bottom surface thereofwith an outlet 32, and the connection pipe 24 is connected with theoutlet 32, such that the water inside the lower case 31 can be suppliedinto the water tub 11. The bottom surface of the lower case 31 isinclined downward toward the outlet 32, in order to secure smooth flowof the wash water into the outlet 32. Further, along upper ends of bothlateral surfaces of the lower case 31 are installed guide rails 33 toguide the detachment of the detergent container 35.

The detergent container 35 includes an open upper surface, andinternally defines a plurality of detergent receiving chambers 35 a, 35b, 35 c and 35 d, which are divided by partitions in order to separatelysort and receive several different kinds of detergents.

The detergent receiving chambers are divided into the preliminarywashing detergent receiving chamber 35 b to receive powder detergent foruse in preliminary washing, the powder detergent receiving chamber 35 ato receive powder detergent for use in main washing, the rinsing agentreceiving chamber 35 c to receive liquid rinsing agent, and thebleaching agent receiving chamber 35 d to receive liquid bleachingagent. At a rear side of the detergent receiving chambers 35 a and 35 b,receiving the powder detergent, is defined a discharge opening 36 a, andthe detergent receiving chambers 35 c and 35 d, which receive liquiddetergent, each include siphons 36 b.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the respective detergent receiving chambers35 a, 35 b, 35 c and 35 d correspond to the respective water supplychambers 41, 42, 43 and 44 defined in the upper case 40, and a bottomsurface of the detergent container 35 is inclined downward toward itsrear side. When the wash water is supplied into the detergent container35 through the respective water supply chambers 41, 42, 43 and 44, thedifferent detergents received in the detergent receiving chambers 35 a,35 b, 35 c and 35 d flow toward the outlet 32 of the housing 30 so as tobe supplied into the water tub 11 by passing through the dischargeopening 36 a and the siphons 36 b in a mixed state with the wash water.

In FIG. 3, the upper case 40 of the detergent supply device 15 accordingto the present invention comprises a plurality of the water supplychambers 41, 42, 43 and 44, and at bottom surfaces of the water supplychambers 41, 42, 43 and 44 are formed the water supply holes 48. Thewater supply chambers are classified into a first water supply chamber41 which is defined at a position corresponding to the powder detergentreceiving chamber 35 a, a second water supply chamber 42 which isdefined at a position corresponding to the preliminary washing detergentreceiving chamber 35 b, a rinsing water supply chamber 43 which isdefined at a position corresponding to the rinsing agent receivingchamber 35 c, and a third water supply chamber 44 which is defined at aposition corresponding to the beaching agent receiving chamber 35 d.

As stated above, at the rear end of the upper case 40 are installed thewater supply pipes 23 a, 23 b, 23 c and 23 d to supply the wash waterinto the upper case 40. The water supply pipes include a first watersupply pipe 23 a, a second water supply pipe 23 b shown at an uppermostposition of FIG. 3, the hot water supply pipe 23 d arranged beside thesecond water supply pipe 23 b in parallel, and a third water supply pipe23 c. The third water supply pipe 23 c is located beside the first watersupply pipe 23 a such that water supply directions thereof intersecteach other. As stated above, the respective water supply pipes 23 a, 23b, 23 c and 23 d are opened or closed by respective water supply valves21 a, 21 b, 21 c and 21 d under the control of a control unit (notshown).

The water supply pipes 23 a, 23 b, 23 c and 23 d communicate with thewater supply chambers 41, 42, 43 and 44 through a plurality of flowchannels 41 a, 42 a, 44 a, 45 and 46. Both the third water supply pipe23 c and the first water supply pipe 23 a, arranged adjacent to eachother, supply the wash water such that their water supply directionsintersect each other at a flow channel branching portion 47. From theflow channel branching portion 47 are branched the three flow channels,namely, the first flow channel 41 a to supply the wash water into thefirst water supply chamber 41, the rinsing water supply flow channel 45to supply the wash water into the rinsing water supply chamber 43, andthe third flow channel 44 a to supply the wash water into the thirdwater supply chamber 44.

The first flow channel 41 a communicates at one end thereof with thefirst water supply chamber 41, and the other end of the first flowchannel 41 a is formed in a straight line corresponding with the watersupply direction of the first water supply pipe 23 a. The hot water flowchannel 46, which communicates with the hot water supply pipe 23 d, ismerged to a predetermined position of the first flow channel 41 a.

One end of the third flow channel 44 a extends to the third water supplychamber 44, and the other end of the third flow channel 44 a lays on astraight line with the water supply direction of the third water supplypipe 23 c.

One end of the rinsing water supply flow channel 45 is positionedbetween the end of the first flow channel 41 a, on a straight line withthe first water supply pipe 23 a, and the end of the third flow channel44 a, on a straight line with the third water supply pipe 23 c. Theother end of the rinsing water supply flow channel 45 extends to therinsing water supply chamber 43. An angle (a₁) defined between the endof the first flow channel 41 a, near the flow channel branching portion47, and the end of the rinsing water supply flow channel 45, near theflow channel branching portion 47, is the same as an angle (a₂) definedbetween the end of the third flow channel 44 a, near the flow channelbranching portion 47, and the end of the rinsing water supply flowchannel 45 near the flow channel branching portion 47.

At the end of the rinsing water supply flow channel 45, near the flowchannel branching portion 47, is formed a flow channel widening portion45 b such that a diameter of the rinsing water supply flow channel 45increases toward the flow channel branching portion 47. At a portion ofthe rinsing water supply flow channel 45, located above the bleachingagent receiving chamber 35 d, are formed a plurality ofpressure-adjustment holes 45 a.

Meanwhile, the second water supply chamber 42, which supplies the washwater into the preliminary washing detergent receiving chamber 35 b,communicates with the second water supply pipe 23 b through the secondflow channel 42 a.

Now, the detergent and water supply operations of the washing machinehaving the above described detergent supply device 15 will be explainedwith reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, prior to driving the washing machine, the detergent container 35of the detergent supply device 15 is pulled out of and separated fromthe housing 30 (as shown in FIG. 1) in order to fill powder detergent,rinsing agent, and bleaching agent in the respective detergent receivingchambers 35 a, 35 b, 35 c and 35 d defined in the detergent container35. Then, the washing machine is driven to initiate a water supply cycleafter the detergent container 35 is completely pushed into the housing30. During the water supply cycle, the wash water, supplied from anexternal water supply source (not shown) by passing through the watersupply valves 21, is supplied into the detergent supply device 15through the inlets 49 a, 49 b, 49 c and 49 d thereof.

The wash water supplied in the detergent supply device 15, according todesired washing courses, passes through at least one of the water supplychambers 41, 42, 43 and 44, thereby being distributed into therespective detergent receiving chambers 35 a, 35 b, 35 c and 35 d of thedetergent container 35. Then, the wash water is mixed with thedetergents in the detergent receiving chambers 35 a, 35 b, 35 c and 35d, and is discharged to the lower case 31 through the outlet 36 a or thesiphons 36 b, and in turn, is supplied into the water tub 11 through theoutlet 32 formed at the lower case 31.

That is, in the initial preliminary washing course, the wash water issupplied into the second water supply chamber 42 through the secondwater supply pipe 23 b, such that the detergent received in thepreliminary washing detergent receiving chamber 35 b is first suppliedinto the water tub 11. In the later main washing course, the wash wateris supplied into the first water supply chamber 41 through the hot watersupply pipe 23 d and the first water supply pipe 23 a, such that thedetergent received in the powder detergent receiving chamber 35 a issupplied into the water tub 11. Then, in order to add the bleachingagent during the rinsing course, the wash water is supplied into thethird water supply chamber 44 through the third water supply pipe 23 c,such that the bleaching agent received in the bleaching agent receivingchamber 35 d is supplied into the water tub 11.

Finally, in order to add the rinsing agent in the rinsing course, thewash water is injected through both the third water supply pipe 23 c andthe first water supply pipe 23 a, such that the wash water is suppliedinto the rinsing water supply chamber 43 through the rinsing watersupply flow channel 45. Since the flow channel widening portion 45 b isformed at the end of the rinsing water supply flow channel 45, even whenthe first and third water supply pipes 23 a and 23 c do not inject thewash water on a straight line with the rinsing water supply flow channel45 due to a difference in water supply pressure, a sufficient amount ofthe wash water can be supplied into the rinsing water supply flowchannel 45.

Since the rinsing water supply flow channel 45 includes the pressureadjustment holes 45 a, when the high-pressure wash water flows throughthe rinsing water supply flow channel 45, a great amount of the washwater is discharged into the bleaching agent receiving chamber 35 dthrough the pressure-adjustment holes 45 a, whereas, when thelow-pressure wash water flows through the rinsing water supply flowchannel 45, only a relatively small amount of the wash water isdischarged into the bleaching agent receiving chamber 35 d through thepressure adjustment holes 45 a. Therefore, the pressure of the washwater reaching the rinsing water supply chamber 43 is adjusted within apredetermined range as the wash water passes through the rinsing watersupply flow channel 45, and accordingly, the pressure of the wash waterdistributed into the rinsing agent receiving chamber 35 c is adjustedwithin the predetermined range.

As stated above, the wash water is discharged into the bleaching agentreceiving chamber 35 d while passing through the rinsing water supplyflow channel 45, therefore the bleaching agent adding course can besimultaneously performed with the rinsing agent adding course, therebyshortening a detergent supply control course, or reducing the amount ofthe wash water to be supplied through the third water supply pipe 23 cin the bleaching agent adding course, resulting in a reduction indetergent supply time.

As is apparent from the above description, a washing machine having adetergent supply device in accordance with the present invention isdesigned to supply wash water of a predetermined pressure from watersupply chambers, thereby preventing detergent from remaining indetergent receiving chambers or from producing bubbles.

Further, according to the present invention, since the water supplypipes simultaneously supply the wash water into the water supplychambers through a flow channel such that their water supply directionsintersect each other, and the flow channel is formed at one end thereofwith a flow channel widening portion, even when the water supplydirections do not exactly coincide with a longitudinal direction of theflow channel, it is possible to prevent an excessively reduced amount ofthe wash water from being supplied into the water supply chambers.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been shown anddescribed, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in this embodiment without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined inthe claims and their equivalents.

1. A washing machine having a detergent supply device, the detergentsupply device comprising: a housing including a plurality of inletsconnected with respective water supply pipes, and an outlet connectedwith a washing tub; a detergent container detachably inserted in thehousing and includes a plurality of detergent receiving chambers; andwater supply chambers each including a flow channel to adjust a pressureof wash water supplied from the inlets, within a predetermined range,and to supply the wash water into the detergent receiving chambers. 2.The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein one of the flowchannels comprises pressure-adjustment holes to discharge the washwater, having a flow rate corresponding to the pressure of the washwater passing through the flow channel, from the flow channel.
 3. Thewashing machine according to claim 2, wherein the water supply chambersare positioned to correspond to the respective detergent receivingchambers; and the wash water discharged from the pressure-adjustmentholes formed at the respective flow channel to supply the wash waterinto one of the detergent receiving chambers, is supplied into anotherone of the detergent receiving chambers.
 4. The washing machineaccording to claim 1, wherein the flow channels communicate with aplurality of the water supply pipes arranged such that water supplydirections thereof intersect each other; and the flow channels supplythe wash water simultaneously injected from the water supply pipes andconverged at a predetermined position, into the water supply chambers.5. The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein one end of the flowchannels comprises a flow channel widening portion for supplying a partof the converged wash water, exceeding a predetermined flow rate, intothe water supply chambers.
 6. The washing machine according to claim 1,wherein the water supply chambers are positioned in an upper portion ofthe housing, and the detergent container is detachably inserted in alower portion of the housing.
 7. The washing machine according to claim6, wherein the water supply chambers are positioned above the detergentcontainer to correspond to the respective detergent receiving chambers.8. The washing machine according to claim 4, further comprising a flowchannel branching portion positioned at an intersection of the watersupply directions.
 9. A washing machine having a detergent supplydevice, the detergent supply device comprising: a housing including anupper and a lower portion coupled with each other and a plurality ofinlets connected with respective water supply pipes; a detergentcontainer including detergent receiving chambers, to be slidablyinserted into the lower portion and to receive detergent therein; andwater supply channels positioned in the upper portion and including flowchannels to supply water into the detergent receiving chambers, whereinone of the flow channels includes pressure-adjustment holes to adjust apressure of the water received from the water supply pipes at apredetermined pressure range.